Cuadrado: "I can't see Messi joining Cristiano at Juventus"

Juventus forward Juan Cuadrado cannot envisage unsettled Barcelona ace Lionel Messi joining up with Cristiano Ronaldo with the Serie A champions. Messi has sensationally told Barça he wants to leave the club, where the six-time Ballon d'Or winner has spent his entire professional career.

Messi won't be joining Juventus

Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan have been most strongly linked with moves for the 33-year-old. Others have fantasised that Messi could join Cristiano Ronaldo in Turin to bring together the two best players of the modern day, but Cuadrado would be surprised if such a move happened.

"I can't imagine it at all. The truth is that I just can't see it happening," he told ESPN Nexo on Thursday. "But then again, just like with Cristiano, many people did not believe it would happen and all of a sudden, he arrived."

Juve are preparing for the 2020-21 campaign under new coach Andrea Pirlo, who replaced Maurizio Sarri at the helm earlier this month.

Pirlo settling into new role

Cuadrado, who has been at the club since 2015 and initially arrived on loan, said he still has to hold talks with Pirlo to discuss his future plans. "I haven-t had the opportunity to talk to him yet. When it is my turn I will surely tell him where I feel much more comfortable [playing]," he said. "Hopefully for his knowledge of the game and for what a great player he was, he can contribute to the team and that we can win many trophies together."